Manage your energy and not only your time! How findings from behavioural sciences can boost your energy and what this has to do with agile frameworks.
Four Main Areas:
1. Body
2. Mind
3. Emotions
4. Spirit
2. Managing Your Energy
Four Main Areas
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02Source: https://hbr.org/2007/10/manage-your-energy-not-your-time
Spirit
Mind
Emotions
Body
3. The Body
Physical Energy
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Body
Timeboxing is used for ensuring that
effort is spent well on activity at hand and
reduce waste. Therefore, it prevents
endless meetings with never ending and
aimless discussions.
Timeboxes
A key principle in the Agile Manifesto is that
of a sustainable pace. Not only will it help to
manage a constant level of energy, it also
helps to create a predictable velocity and with
that happier customer.
Sustainable Pace
Agile
Teams
4. The Body
Physical Energy
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Body
Regular exercises doesn't mean excessive
sport. A short walk is already helping you
to take a mental and also a emotional
break.
Take a walk
The value of breaks is multifaceted. It allows
your brain to see the big picture and make
imaginative leaps.
Breaks
Working more doesn’t automatically mean
you will get more work done. Focus on your
energy and a sustainable constant pace to
deliver.
Sustainable Pace
Personal
Advices
Source: https://hbr.org/2007/10/manage-your-energy-not-your-time
5. The Mind
Focus of Energy
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Mind
Stop starting, start finishing is very important in
agile teams. A suitable work in progress limit will
not only prevent multitasking, it will also boost
your customer satisfaction.
Multitasking
Another essential key point is the
prioritization of the product backlog and
focusing on continuous value delivery.
Priorities
One task of the Product Owner is to channel the
communication regarding new tasks and
changes away from the Team. Therefore, the
team can fully focus on the goals committed in
the sprint.
Interruptions
Agile
Teams
6. The Mind
Focus of Energy
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Mind
Many see it as necessity in the face of all the
demands. Science is proving it continuously
wrong. In fact, switching tasks cost roughly
25% more time to finish.
Multitasking
Starting each day with focussing on the
most important topic. You will not only be
done with the most valuable task, you will
also feel empowered by accomplished
that within your first hours of a day.
Priorities
This goes hand in hand with multitasking.
How often have you been interrupted
while being deeply focused for a task?
Make sure you get rid of these
interruptions especially for complex tasks.
Interruptions
Personal
Advices
Source: https://hbr.org/2007/10/manage-your-energy-not-your-time
7. The Emotions
Quality of Energy
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Emotions
Many agile organizations use the power of
appreciation in their retrospectives. Another
way is to implement a kudo wall.
Appreciation
One main agile principle is to foster face-to-face
communication. Not only is it the most efficient
and effective way of communication, it will also
prevent misunderstanding and with that
negative triggers.
Communication
When speaking about energy at work it is
essential to also mind obstacles and
conflicts. The retrospective is one way to
address and solve them and also to increase
the team spirit.
Impediments
Agile
Teams
8. The Emotions
Quality of Energy
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Emotions
Expressing appreciation to other is a powerful
practice beneficial to the giver and the
receiver.
Appreciation
Unfortunately, we are physiologically not
capable of sustaining highly positive emotions
for long periods. Learn which events are
triggering negative emotions, take a breath and
take control of your reaction.
Negative Triggers
We often tend to see ourselves as a victim,
blaming others or external circumstances. Be
aware of the different perspectives and the
way you interpret them.
Perspective
Personal
Advices
Source: https://hbr.org/2007/10/manage-your-energy-not-your-time
9. The Human Spirit
Energy of Meaning and Purpose
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Spirit
Delivering working products continuously
will not only make the customer more
happier, it will also increase the happiness
of the development team.
Meaning and Purpose
Build projects around motivated individuals is
another key principle of the Agile Manifesto.
Create an environment, give the support they
need, and trust them to get the job done.
Trust
Agile
Teams
Self-organized teams are distributing the work
within their team on their own. With that
everyone can easily communicate their
preferences of tasks.
Self-Organizing Teams
10. The Human Spirit
Energy of Meaning and Purpose
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Spirit
Working with a meaning and purpose will
lead automatically to more positive
energy, better focus, and a greater
perseverance.
Meaning and Purpose
Try to work on tasks that resonate most
with you. This means also a variety of
tasks including some challenging ones.
Task Variety
Define and practice your core values in
your everyday behavior. Think of what you
can’t stand from others. Considering this
as a high value for you and live it.
Your Values
Personal
Advices
Source: https://hbr.org/2007/10/manage-your-energy-not-your-time
11. Vitality Check
Check the Energy of your Team
It is hard to read everyone’s mind. Therefore, Vitality
Checks are a way to get fast and anonymous feedback
from your team. That helps to understand where the
team sees gaps influencing their daily work.
Knowledge
Help your teams stay vital. Balance the efforts of day to
day business and improvement activities. Less but
more relevant actions mean less overload and more
satisfaction for your team and more success for your
company.
Action
The team provides a lot of insights with the Vitality
Reports. They are made to focus on those topic that
create the maximum impact. Stay effective with topics
that really matter.
Focus
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